Disney Icon Hayley Mills to Lead THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL Stage Adaptation

Hayley Mills, best known for her memorable performances in the Disney films The Parent Trap and Pollyanna, has signed on to lead the upcoming stage adaptation of the acclaimed film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

According to Deadline, Mills has joined the cast in the role of widow Evelyn Greenslove, a part originated by Dame Judi Dench in the film. Mills will lead the production on tour throughout the UK before moving on to a sit-down production on London's West End.

Mills joins an ensemble that also includes Paula Wilcox as Muriel Donnelly, and Paul Nicholas as Douglas Ainslie.

Poducer Simon Friend said of the adaptation, "You'll recognize the characters but I can't stress enough that's it's not a play of the film. Though we have arranged to use the same title as the film because it's undeniably recognizable."

Written by Deborah Moggach, adapted from her bestselling novel which inspired the BAFTA and Golden Globe-nominated film, and directed by Lucy Bailey, the cherished story will be brought to life on stage when it opens at the Richmond Theatre on Tuesday, 30th August 2022.

The tour then visits Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield; Theatre Royal, Brighton; Theatre Royal, Glasgow; Theatre Royal, Newcastle; Hall for Cornwall, Truro; Churchill Theatre, Bromley; Theatre Royal, Norwich; Curve, Leicester; The Lowry, Salford and the New Victoria Theatre, Woking before concluding at Theatre Royal, Bath next December. Further dates in 2023 are to be announced.

Based on the Sunday Times bestseller which inspired one of this century's most treasured films, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel takes us on a journey to India with an eclectic group of British retirees as they embark on a new life. The luxury residence is far from the opulence they were promised, but as their lives begin to intertwine and they embrace the vibrancy of modern-day India, they are charmed in unexpected and life-changing ways.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a joyous, feel-good comedy about taking risks, finding love and embracing second chances, even in the most surprising of places.

Based on Deborah Moggach's 2004 novel These Foolish Things, the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (directed by John Madden) saw its UK theatrical release in 2012. Within two weeks of its cinematic distribution, the film had topped the UK Box Office and went on to become a hit internationally performing as one of the highest-grossing films of 2012 in Australia and New Zealand as well as the United Kingdom.

The interlinked stories of the film's stellar ensemble, which included Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilson, Tom Wilkinson, Celie Imrie and Ronald Pickup - with Dev Patel as the put-upon owner of a past-it-best hotel for 'the elderly and beautiful' - shone a light on issues such as the outsourcing of care and NHS treatments, the complexity of family relationships around the world, love, compassion and companionship in our twilight years.

Deborah Moggach has written 20 novels including These Foolish Things which became The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, directed by John Madden. Deborah's screenplay for the 2005 Working Title movie of Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew McFadyen, was nominated for a BAFTA. Adaptations of other writers' work include Nancy Mitford's Love in a Cold Climate, The Diary of Anne Frank and Anne Fine's Goggle-Eyes, which won the Writers' Guild Award for Best Adapted TV Serial. The movie, Tulip Fever, based on her novel of the same name starred Christoph Waltz and Judi Dench. Deborah has adapted some of her other novels for television: Seesaw, Close Relations, Stolen and Final Demand. Double Take, Deborah's first original stage play was produced at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester.

Lucy Bailey directs the new production. Lucy studied English at Oxford University where she directed the world premiere of Lessness by Samuel Beckett. Recent productions include: David Mamet's Oleanna (UK Tour & West End); Gaslight (UK Tour); Witness for the Prosecution (London's County Hall); Ghosts (Royal & Derngate, Northampton); Switzerland (Bath Ustinov / West End); Cave (a site specific opera for London Sinfonietta and Royal Opera House, at the Print Works, London); Comus, A Masque in Honour of Chastity (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Globe); Kenny Morgan (Arcola, London).

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is produced by Simon Friend.

Full casting to be announced.

Learn more at www.marigoldshow.com

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

2022 Tour Dates

Tue 30 Aug - Sat 10

Sept Box Office: 03330 096 690

Richmond Theatre, Richmond www.atgtickets.com/venues/richmond-theatre

On sale to members Mon 29 Nov, general on sale Tue 30 Nov

Tue 13 - Sat 17 Sept

Box Office: 0114 249 6000

Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Tue 20 - Sat 24 Sept

Box Office: 0844 871 7650

Theatre Royal, Brighton www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton

On sale to members Mon 29 Nov, general on sale Tue 30 Nov

Tue 27 Sept - Sat 1 Oct

Box Office: 0844 8717647

Theatre Royal, Glasgow www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-glasgow

On sale to members Mon 29 Nov, general on sale Tue 30 Nov

Tue 4 - Sat 8 Oct

Box Office: 08448 11 21 21

Theatre Royal, Newcastle www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Tue 11 - Sat 5 Oct

Box Office: 01872 262 466

Hall for Cornwall www.hallforcornwall.co.uk

On sale soon

Tue 18 - Sat 22 Oct

Box Office: 0343 310 0020

Churchill Theatre, Bromley www.churchilltheatre.co.uk

Tue 25 - Sat 29 Oct Box Office: 01603 630 000

Theatre Royal, Norwich www.norwichtheatre.org

Tue 1 Oct - Sat 5 Nov

Box Office: 0116 242 3595

Curve, Leicester www.curveonline.co.uk

On sale soon

Tue 8 - Sat 12 Nov

Box Office: 0343 208 6000

The Lowry, Salford www.thelowry.com

Tue 15 - Sat 19 Nov

Box Office: 0333 009 6690

New Victoria Theatre, Woking www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre

On sale to members Mon 29 Nov, general on sale Tue 30 Nov

Mon 28 Nov - Sat 3 Dec

Box Office: 01225 448 844

Theatre Royal, Bath www.theatreroyal.org.uk

On sale soon